What's in an 11-Piece Baby Feeding Set — and What Each Piece Is For

The short answer

A complete set covers three jobs: eating (plate, bowl, spoon and fork), drinking (a cup with two lids and a straw) and everything in between (a bib, a lid for leftovers and a bag to carry it all).

You will not use all eleven pieces on day one. That is the point: the set grows with your baby, so the next piece is already in the cupboard when the next stage arrives.

A quick way to picture it: the bowl and spoon come out first, the plate joins a few weeks later, and the fork and the cup lids take over as your baby becomes more independent.

Here is our SofiAl Full Set, piece by piece.

For first spoonfuls: bowl, spoon and bib

Most babies start solids at around 6 months, says the NHS, and the first weeks are mostly small tastes from a spoon or a soft finger food.

1. Suction bowl. The home of purées, porridge and yoghurt. Its suction base holds onto a smooth tray, so you have both hands free and your baby can lean in without the bowl moving away.

2. Beech-wood spoon. A soft silicone tip on a natural beech-wood handle that feels warm in the hand. At first you load it; later your baby will want it. The CDC notes that babies start to use a spoon by themselves at around 10 to 12 months.

3. Adjustable bib. It fits now and keeps fitting as your baby grows, and it catches what the spoon misses. Wipe it, rinse it, use it again at the next meal.

For finger foods: plate, lid and fork

4. Divided suction plate. Sections keep foods apart, so a baby can explore one taste at a time: soft vegetable sticks in one, a little fruit in another. The suction base keeps the plate where you put it.

5. Plate lid. Covers the plate, so a meal can wait in the fridge or travel with you. Leftovers stay covered, and there is one less container to wash.

6. Beech-wood fork. The same soft silicone tip on a natural beech-wood handle. It is for later, when your baby is ready to spear soft pieces. The CDC notes that after about 12 months, children quickly get better at using spoons, forks and cups.

For drinking and snacks: the 3-in-1 cup

7. 3-in-1 cup with two handles. Two handles give small hands something easy to hold.

8. Drinking lid with straw. For straw practice and for outings.

9. Snack lid. Turns the same cup into a snack cup for the pram, the car seat or the park.

10. Silicone straw. The soft straw for sipping practice, easy to rinse after use.

Without a lid, the cup is an open cup. The NHS suggests introducing a cup from around 6 months with sips of water at meals, and says an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve helps babies learn to sip. Ask your paediatrician if you are unsure which to begin with.

The eleventh piece, and what the whole set shares

11. Branded eco gift bag. It makes the set ready to give, with no wrapping needed, and everything packs back into it when you travel. Between outings, it is a tidy home for the whole set.

Every piece belongs to the same premium baby tableware set:

• Material: food-grade platinum silicone, with beech wood for the spoon and fork.
• Free from: BPA, PVC, phthalates and lead.
• Tested: independently lab-tested to CPSIA (USA), Canadian lead and phthalate limits, and EN 14350 and EN 14372 (EU). Our safety page explains each standard.
• Care: the silicone pieces are dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe; see our care guide.
• Colours: Rose Pink, Dusty Blue and Royal Beige.
• Age: from 6 months.

If you would like the whole journey in one matching set, you will find it on our Feeding Sets page. If you would rather begin with one plate or one bowl, a Mini Set is a gentle first step.